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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: luxury

luxury stories: 29 news summaries

1 - 20 of 29 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

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 Neiman 'Fantasy Gift' 
 Pricetags Plummet  
 to Mere $250K 

Slowdown scales down costs as even super-rich turn 'frugal'

Oct 7, 09 3:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - The slowdown in luxury spending has spurred Neiman Marcus to make its "fantasy items" in this year's Christmas catalog a lot less fantastic than in years past. For the first time in a decade there's no $1 million-plus items on offer, like the $20 million submarine offered in 2000... More »

MORE ABOUT:
retail • luxury • Christmas • Neiman Marcus • gift • conspicuous consumption

 Japan Loses Its 
 Taste for Luxury 

From food to handbags, high-cost items are suffering

Sep 21, 09 7:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hundred-dollar melons and pricey designer handbags used to sell so well in Japan that companies considered luxury goods a mass-market sector. But while the Japanese kept on shopping through previous recessions, this one has produced a sea change. The luxury industry has been hard hit, and the change may be... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Louis Vuitton • shopping • Japan • recession • Tokyo • luxury • Japanese economy

TRAVEL

 Find a Second Home 
 Afloat—for Less 

Barges or an ocean condo offer less cost, commitment than owning a yacht

Jul 31, 09 3:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - A boat makes a great getaway home, but mooring and maintenance can turn ownership into an expensive hassle. A few alternatives have cropped up that offer the pleasures of sea living without requiring the vacationer to buy in hook, line, and sinker, USA Today reports:
  • The World. The
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
travel • France • boat • luxury • yachts • Jay-ZTV • barges

 Luxury Labels 
 Flaunt Green Cred 

Top-end firms realize eco-friendly image can boost brand value

Jul 2, 09 7:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - As traditional luxury good buyers make way for a new generation of eco-conscious consumers, luxe brands are jostling to show off their planet-saving credentials, the Wall Street Journal reports. Firms like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany are snapping up eco-friendly firms, introducing new lines, and using green themes in their advertising... More »

MORE ABOUT:
environment • Gucci • Louis Vuitton • social responsibility • luxury goods • luxury • Tiffany's • women's issues

(Newser) - The purer pleasures of the outdoors don’t seem to be enough for some campers anymore, the New York Times reports. Increasingly, campgrounds are offering amenities like pizza delivery, air-conditioning, kiddie rides, and valet service to the delight of families and owners’ balance sheets. “The objective is to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
nature • camping • luxury • outdoors • recreational vehicle • campground • KOA • RVs

glossies

High-End Media Strikes Back at 'Luxury Bashing'

High-end media
strikes back at mass-market press

Jun 13, 09 7:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Tired of watching its affluent readership attacked, upscale media outfits are striking back at their mainstream press brethren, Johnnie Roberts writes in Newsweek. Brett Andersen, editor of the high-end monthly Robb Report, had led the charge by blasting the “demonization of the wealthy and the industries that cater to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
luxury • rich • conspicuous consumption • wealthy

(Newser) - Consumers are cutting back in all sorts of ways amid the recession—just not when it comes to yoga. Sales of designer mats, which fetch in the ballpark of $100, are surging, reports Time. One leading company, Manduka, has seen sales shoot up 87% on Amazon in the last 4... More »

MORE ABOUT:
recession • luxury • yoga • meditation • Manduka

Cash-Strapped Country Clubs Welcome the Public

Upper crust forced to adjust as struggling clubs aim for the common touch

May 21, 09 8:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - Struggling country clubs have decided to ditch their exclusiveness to stave off extinction, the Washington Post reports, slashing fees and opening facilities to the public. Long-standing members often sniff as dress codes vanish, nachos replace filet mignon on menus, pickup trucks appear in parking spots, and the public floods in—... More »

MORE ABOUT:
golf • restaurant • recession • club • luxury • financial crisis

 Tiny Hotels Offer NYC 
 at Micro-Prices 

Inns provide Manhattan rooms for $75-$89

Apr 7, 09 4:06 PM CDT
(Newser) - New York is expensive, even to visit. A hotel in Manhattan can cost $300 a night, and even deep into the other boroughs, you’re not likely to pay less than $129. But a few hotels have moved to provide affordable nightly accommodation—by cutting down on room size, NPR... More »

MORE ABOUT:
New York • Manhattan • hotel • luxury • accommodation

OPINION

10 Recession Expenditures
to Shut Up About

The economy has changed social etiquette

Apr 2, 09 10:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - If you've got it, don't flaunt it. Forbes warns against boasting about these lavish purchases,:
  1. As your friends' faces get droopy, it's not cool to discuss cosmetic surgery splurges.
  2. The duck confit may have been exquisite, but resist describing a lavish meal.
  3. Lest you suffer the same
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
list • recession • luxury • splurges • economy

 JPMorgan Spending $138M 
 to Update Swank Jet Fleet 

Two Gulfstreams and a new hangar are slated for purchase

Mar 23, 09 9:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - JPMorgan Chase, recipient of $25 billion in taxpayer money, is about to be the proud owner of two new luxury private jets and a lavishly renovated Westchester County airport hangar, complete with roof garden, ABC News reports. The $138 million purchase, described as “completely tone deaf” by one watchdog,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Westchester • luxury • private jet • JPMorgan Chase • Gulfstream • TARP

GLOSSIES

 The Rich Get Poorer

Richest are abandoning homes, jewels ... and some are even broke

Dec 6, 08 2:36 AM CST
(Newser) - Before Wall Street's woes reached Main Street they pillaged Fifth Avenue, the Upper East Side, and the Hamptons, upending the culture of Rich America in the process. Manhattan bankers—some of whom went from multi-millionaires to debtors—are offloading Central Park apartments, high-end art, and private helicopters in a dizzying... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Wall Street • recession • luxury • financial crisis

 What Recession?
 Dubai Throws $20M Party 

Star-studded night boasts fireworks display visible from space

Nov 21, 08 1:28 PM CST
(Newser) - Rich and famous people from around the world avoided the recession blues last night by flocking to a ridiculously extravagant party on a man-made island in Dubai, Bloomberg reports. Boasting a performance from Kylie Minogue and a fireworks display that could be seen from space, the party was the emirate’... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Michael Jordan • Dubai • recession • global economy • luxury • Kylie Minogue

GLOSSIES

 Young Americans Ride Out 
 Recession in Dubai 

Booming reality counters talk of bubble in Middle East's 'Manhattan'

Nov 17, 08 1:55 PM CST
(Newser) - Back in Texas, Brooke Butler’s friends are worrying about their homes and jobs. Butler has other worries. “I’m thinking it’ll take about 5 years to make a million now,” the 24-year-old saleswoman tells New York. “It’s not that difficult over here.” Here... More »

MORE ABOUT:
real estate • Dubai • United Arab Emirates • luxury • bubble

Herman Miller Says Phooey to Financial Crisis

Still have a job? Thumb your nose at thrift with a $1600 office chair

Nov 6, 08 1:25 PM CST
(Newser) - With a "bah!" to the financial crisis, furniture manufacturer Herman Miller has introduced a chair that costs $1,600—making you “all the more comfortable as you sit for eight hours staring in disbelief at your plummeting stock portfolio,” writes Stacey Higginibotham on GigaOm. The Embody,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
price • office • luxury • furniture • financial crisis • Aeron • Herman Miller • office chairs • Embody

Struggling Whole Foods Pushes Cheaper Image

Chain's 'Whole Paycheck' nickname becomes albatross in downturn

Aug 5, 08 6:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Whole Foods is attempting to lose its reputation for high prices as shoppers increasingly look for thrift, the New York Times reports. The economic slump has changed shopping patterns: A July survey estimated that 20% of US shoppers have switched to cheaper grocery stores. Whole Foods has cut prices and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
organic food • Whole Foods • luxury • food prices • grocery stores • economy • Thrifty

Slowdown
No Problem for Luxury Goods

Affluent Americans
still snapping up fancy watches, jewelry

Jul 26, 08 2:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - If America’s economy is failing, at least it’s going down in style. Sales of luxury goods have been surprisingly strong this year, despite the overarching economic gloom, the Wall Street Journal reports. Brands such as Hermès and Burberry have seen double-digit growth, as Americans continue to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
luxury goods • luxury • economy

 Burger King
 Serves Up
 $190 Burger 

Never mind $150 oil, how about the $200 hamburger?

Jun 19, 08 3:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - Burger King has concocted a luxury burger with a whopping $190 price tag, reports ABC News. "The Burger" features Wagyu beef garnished with truffles and onion straws fried in Cristal champagne in a saffron-dusted bun. The bold, limited edition tantalizer is being offered once a week at a single... More »

MORE ABOUT:
London • fast food • burger • luxury • truffles

 Tight Economy
 Leaves Wealthy
 Vexed in the City 

NY's richest tremble as they cut back on life's luxuries

May 31, 08 2:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - Think you’ve got it bad in these tough times? Then consider the swarms of Wall Street bankers and Upper East Side developers whose income has slid along with the nation’s economy. Lawyers, art advisers, personal trainers, and hairstylists to the privileged say their clients gripe about having to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
New York • luxury • rich • economy

 How the Rich Can Buy Time 

Why do anything if you can hire someone to do it for you?

May 4, 08 2:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Time is truly the currency of the rich, and W offers tips on today's ultimate luxury. How to save a few of those grains in the hourglass:
  1. Delegate: Outsourcing isn’t just for heartless CEOs—pay people to break in your smoking jackets
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
wealth • lifestyle • time • luxury • rich

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